Science and TechnologyWritten evidence submitted by Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR)
Introduction
1. As one of the largest UK awarding bodies, OCR designs, produces and assesses qualifications, particularly GCSEs, and A Levels. We provide a wide range of vocational qualifications including the Diploma in Engineering. We meet the needs of learners of all ages, working with 13,000 schools, colleges and other institutions. These close links with curriculum and learning have made us very aware of the impact of changes on the curriculum choices being offered to young people.
2. OCR has a particular interest in the Engineering and STEM agenda:
we work closely with University Technical Colleges in the Engineering sector to develop a curriculum which meets the needs of learners and reflects best practice within the sector; and
we have subject consultative forums in respect of Science, Mathematics and IT & Computing in which representatives of Higher Education, employers and sector experts provide advice to inform our qualification development.
3. Our submission is based upon evidence that we have gained from:
our survey Key Principles of Engineering;
recording comments from school, colleges and University Technical Colleges who have worked with us since the Engineering Diploma/Principal Learning became available in September 2008, and schools and colleges that deliver our GCSEs in Product Design, Engineering and Manufacturing; and
discussions with engineering employer partners and members of our STEM subject consultative forums.
Results of OCR Survey—Key Principles of Engineering
4. In association with The Royal Academy of Engineering, in 2011 OCR undertook a survey of 50 key influencers within the engineering sector, to establish their view of what constituted the key principles of engineering. This work was undertaken in the context of policy changes in respect of government support for the Diploma and the decision to implement the recommendations of The Wolf Review of Vocational Education in full.
5. The survey was informed by the curriculum activity that OCR had carried out with The JCB Academy and The Black Country UTC, both of which offer a curriculum with Engineering as a specialism. The survey targeted four sectors,
Manufacturing/Production Engineering.
Maintenance Engineering.
Electrical/Electronic Engineering.
Chemical Engineering.
The survey sought to identify employers’ views on current provision and what they felt future engineering and manufacturing qualifications should contain.
6. The key findings that emerged were:
6.1 Current Provision
All respondents felt that the Principal Learning for Engineering qualification was respected by the engineering community and was providing the right blend of learning and experience to allow learners to progress within Engineering. Respondents were keen to ensure that the qualification was not broken into chunks (linked qualifications) as it would lose the depth that was providing learners with the engineering skills required by employers.
6.2 Curriculum Offer 14–16
Respondents identified the importance of developing learners’ skills and abilities in core curriculum areas emphasising the importance within engineering of understanding and mastery of:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
This reflects concerns already expressed across the education community in respect of the wider STEM agenda.
In contrast to the recommendations set out in the Wolf Review, for 14–16 curriculum, respondents felt learners should be provided with a large amount of authentic and current hands on practical experience with related employer industry input.
6.3 Review Group Views
The review group made up of RAE, Imeche, (the engineering council), MEI and Brighton University all felt that common underlying general principles across all engineering sectors should be the basis of any future engineering qualifications and this should be reflected in future developments at 14–16 in particular.
It was felt that Principal Learning in Engineering provided a platform for the further development of engineering qualifications. Any new qualifications developed needed to provide:
schools with the flexibility they require; and
UTCs with the ability to deliver the greater depth engineering employers are seeking.
Concerns expressed by schools, colleges and UTCs delivering the Diploma, Principal Learning in Engineering and GCSEs in Product Design, Engineering Manufacturing and Applied Science in the light the introduction of the E-Bacc and other performance measures
7. OCR has received face to face feedback from 10 current or planned UTCs in respect of this submission and has also received feedback from schools and colleges delivering the Diploma or Principal Learning in Engineering. The key issues emerging are:
7.1 Curriculum Time and the Impact of “Headline” Performance Measures
As approximately 40% of the school curriculum time is required to deliver Principal Learning, the decision by the DfE to count this achievement as the equivalent of one GCSE in the headline performance measure is creating a strong disincentive to continue delivering the qualification.
Schools, and UTCs in particular, have reported that the Principal Learning for Engineering provides the right balance of academic and technical study. However, as a key measure of a school’s/UTC’s performance is through qualification outcomes set out in the headline measure, it is unlikely that they will be able allocate the necessary amount of curriculum time to its delivery.
7.2 Cost of Delivery
Schools and UTCs have expressed concern about the recent funding changes that have withdrawn the additional financial support required to deliver this type of qualification properly. The unintended consequence of this could be to encourage schools and colleges to concentrate provision on qualifications with lower overhead delivery costs reducing learner access to engineering qualifications.
7.3 Approach to Learning and Assessment
The Principal Learning specification is designed for students who respond well to a kinaesthetic, practical style of learning. The syllabus requires learners to demonstrate mastery of practical skills and requires internal assessment to support this method of delivery. There is concern that the move towards terminal, exam based assessment at the end of Key Stage 4 will disadvantage these learners and reduce their opportunity to progress to employment or further learning.
7.4 Breadth of Offer at GCSE
There is evidence of schools switching large numbers of students away from Product Design, Engineering, Manufacturing and Applied Science GCSEs, including examples of this happening when students are already six months into these programmes. It would appear that decisions are being made to increase the number of students following the portfolio of E-Bacc subjects. A number of schools reported that this was beginning to affect uptake at A Level and may in the longer term lead to a decline in the take up of Engineering degrees.
Discussions With Engineering Employer Partners
8. Below are comments received from a number of engineering employers about the potential loss of the Engineering Diploma (Principal Learning).
“I think there are problems we need to overcome urgently. This isn’t ultimately about qualifications, it’s about learning in the right way to go into careers. Engineering is increasingly disappearing from schools’ option forms after years of going in the right direction. The Dyson Foundation wants more home grown engineers and the Diploma was the best way forward for school students to engage with the subject.” Dyson Foundation
“The Diploma in Engineering has now become known as the industry standard. To break this up or get rid of a name that we now recognise and respect would simply be ludicrous” Siemens UK
“For many years, we have been encouraged to support the delivery of engineering within schools. We are at a stage where we are now working with schools more closely than ever because we believe the Diploma equips learners with the right skills. Our engagement will be very different if this qualification does not exist”. Tata Steel
Issues Arising From OCR’s HE Engagement Strategy
9. During the past two years OCR has implemented a wide-ranging Higher Education engagement programme. The programme consists of a Higher Education (HE) Consultative Forum, together with a number of subject consultative forums including science, mathematics, IT & Computing. Some 100 representatives from learned societies, professional associations, schools and colleges, employers and education charities have attended these forums. Feedback from all three forums has consistently emphasised the importance of learners being enabled to demonstrate:
strong command of the core subject knowledge, principles and practice;
ability to demonstrate problem solving approach; and
ability to work independently to develop own learning.
10. All forums have recognised the importance of engineering and have underlined the “shared agenda” across the STEM subjects. There is a strong view that the current revision of A levels should be used to promote the academic core which will best support learner progression to employment or entry to HE.
OCR’s View
11. The introduction of the English Baccalaureate was welcomed by OCR as a “wholly appropriate means of rewarding young people who have succeeded across a number of strong academic subjects”. The inclusion of Maths and all three sciences within this measure provides a strong grounding for future academic study that will support the development of engineering skills within the workplace and further and higher education. Without command of these core subjects, future progression will be at risk.
12. However the implementation of the recommendations of the Wolf Review has had significant consequences for emerging approaches to promoting the delivery of engineering skills within the school curriculum.
13. Firstly the guidance that between 14 and 16 no more than 20% of curriculum time should be spent on subjects outside of the academic core will cause many schools, colleges and UTCs to withdraw from delivering qualifications, like the Principal Learning in Engineering, because they require more than this ceiling suggests.
14. This is further exacerbated by the criteria that vocational qualifications have to meet to be included within the revised headline measure from 2014. All qualifications must have a significant amount of external assessment and regardless of number of guided learning hours will only count as the equivalent of one GCSE. Both of these factors have already begun to drive schools, colleges and UTCs to offer bite size vocational learning at 14–16 rather than the more rounded holistic approach that is supported across the engineering sector.
15. Consideration should be given to how schools, colleges and UTCs can be supported to deliver a broader curriculum that develops and supports the acquisition of core engineering skills. The current arrangements provide strong support for those that will enter the sector by the traditional route of academic excellence in related STEM disciplines. However, the opportunity to deliver a more practical applied approach and to broaden the number of routes into an engineering career, require a less prescriptive interpretation of performance measures.
June 2012